Anna Karenina eBook

“Of course, I can mention it to him; but what
is your reason precisely for wishing to obtain the
appointment?”

“It’s a good salary, rising to nine thousand,
and my means...”

“Nine thousand!” repeated Alexey Alexandrovitch,
and he frowned. The high figure of the salary
made him reflect that on that side Stepan Arkadyevitch’s
proposed position ran counter to the main tendency
of his own projects of reform, which always leaned
towards economy.

“I consider, and I have embodied my views in
a note on the subject, that in our day these immense
salaries are evidence of the unsound economic assiette
of our finances.”

“I assume that a salary is the price paid for
a commodity, and it ought to conform with the law
of supply and demand. If the salary is fixed
without any regard for that law, as, for instance,
when I see two engineers leaving college together,
both equally well trained and efficient, and one getting
forty thousand while the other is satisfied with two;
or when I see lawyers and hussars, having no special
qualifications, appointed directors of banking companies
with immense salaries, I conclude that the salary
is not fixed in accordance with the law of supply
and demand, but simply through personal interest.
And this is an abuse of great gravity in itself,
and one that reacts injuriously on the government
service. I consider...”

Stepan Arkadyevitch made haste to interrupt his brother-in-law.

“Yes; but you must agree that it’s a new
institution of undoubted utility that’s being
started. After all, you know, it’s a growing
thing! What they lay particular stress on is
the thing being carried on honestly,” said Stepan
Arkadyevitch with emphasis.

But the Moscow significance of the word “honest”
was lost on Alexey Alexandrovitch.

“Honesty is only a negative qualification,”
he said.

“Well, you’ll do me a great service, anyway,”
said Stepan Arkadyevitch, “by putting in a word
to Pomorsky—­just in the way of conversation....”

“But I fancy it’s more in Volgarinov’s
hands,” said Alexey Alexandrovitch.

“Volgarinov has fully assented, as far as he’s
concerned,” said Stepan Arkadyevitch, turning
red. Stepan Arkadyevitch reddened at the mention
of that name, because he had been that morning at
the Jew Volgarinov’s, and the visit had left
an unpleasant recollection.

Stepan Arkadyevitch believed most positively that
the committee in which he was trying to get an appointment
was a new, genuine, and honest public body, but that
morning when Volgarinov had—­ intentionally,
beyond a doubt—­kept him two hours waiting
with other petitioners in his waiting room, he had
suddenly felt uneasy.